Half to james gillen



No. 622,980. Patented Apr. ll, I899. M. F. SINCLAIR.

COUPLING FOR AIR PIPES 0F RAILWAY CABS. (Application filed Nov. 6,1898.)

(No Model.)

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WITNESSES INVENTOR A TTOHNEYS.

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UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE.

MILLARD F. SINCLAIR, OF HUMBOLDT, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOJAMES GILLEN, OF SAME PLACE.

COUPLING FOR AIR-PIPES OF RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 622,980, dated April11, 1899.

Application filed November 5, 1898- Serial No. 695 ,594. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MILLARD F. SINCLAIR, of Humboldt, in' the county ofGibson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Couplingfor the Air-Pipes of Railway- Cars, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide an improvement upon thecoupling for which application for Letters Patent was made by me May 3,1898, Serial No. 679,590, and allowed October 1, 1898. I

A further object of the invention is to so construct the coupling thatangle-cocks may be dispensed with upon the cars, and whereby also thedummy couplers will not be needed, since when the cars are uncoupled thesafety- Valves in the couplers will automatically close and shut off theair.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the coupling thatshould any car of a train break loose from said train the body of thetrain may proceed at its usual speed, while the brakes upon the detachedcars will be antomatically applied, thus obviating a tail-end collision.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to. the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both figures.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through the improvedcoupling, and Fig. 2 is a liorizontalsection taken substantially on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1.

A represents the coupling-head, which is supported in any suitable orapproved manner beneath the car-sill A The couplinghead is provided witha front inclined wall 10, the inclination being from one side indirection of the other, and in the inclined front of the said head anopening 11 is provided. At the rear of the coupling-head an air pipe 12is introduced in-any suitable or approved manner.

At that side of the coupling-head facing the inclined front 10 a hood Bis secured, which flares laterally in a reverse direction to theinclination of the front of the head, and at the opposite side of thehead a spring-tongue O is secured. here the hood 13 connects with andthis slide is provided with fins 18, that.

travel between the guides 15, the guides in each chamber at each sidebeing two in numher. The slide 17 is secured to a piston-rod 19, one endwhereof extends out through the opening 11 at the front of thecoupling-head andis provided with an enlargement or ahead 20, as shownin both of the figures.

21 made in the partition 14, and at the rear end of the piston-rod 19 avalve 22 is secured, adapted to be seated against the'rear face of thepartition 14 and to normally close the opening 21 in said partition, thevalve being kept thus seated by means of a spring 23,

coiled around the piston-rod and having bearing against the front faceof the partition LL and the inner end wall of the slide 17.

A second slide 2 1 is attached to or constitutes an extension of thevalve 22, the slide 24 having fins which are adapted to travel betweenthe guides 16, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The slide 24 is usuallyfiat, as shown in Fig. 1, andis provided with a keyhole-slot 25, thatextends through its rear end. A button 26, of elongated form, is enteredinto the slot 25 of the rear slide, and the said button is secured upona shaft 27, journaled in the coupling-head, as shown in Fig. 1, the saidshaft being provided at its outer end with a crank 28, that serves as ahandle.

In operation when the cars are coupled the heads 20 of the piston-rodsof opposing ,cars will. be brought together as the coupling is efiectedand the piston-rods will beforcd inward, thus opening the valves 22 andper- The piston-rod 19 passes loosely throughan opening ICO . event atrain should break the valve in the car of the detached section of thetrain will remain open, permitting the escape of air, thereby reducingthe pressure and setting the brakes; In this manner the main body of thetrain may proceed at its usual rate of speed, while the detached carswill be stopped after traveling but a short distance.

It is obvious that in uncoupling the cars when the keys or buttons 26are not turned in a direction to lock the valves open the valves willautomatically close the couplingheads and prevent any possible escape ofair.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a coupling for air-pipes of railwaycars, ahollow coupling-head, a spring-controlled valve located in said head andadapted to control the passage of air therethrough a piston connectedwith said valve and extend ing out through the front of the couplingwith-an opening therethrough, a springpressed piston held to slide in saidhead, said piston having one end normally extending through the front ofsaid head and the other end extending through theopening in thepartition, a valve connected with said piston and normally held therebyagainst the partition whereby to close the opening therein, the saidvalve being provided with an extension having a keyhole-slot therein,and a shaft journaled in the head and having a button arranged to enterthe slot in the said extension whereby to hold the valve away from thepartition as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a coupling for air-pipes of railwaycars, a hollow coupling-head, aspring-controlled valve located in said head, adapted to normally cutoff the communication between the front and rear of the head, a pistonconnected with said valve and extending out through the front of thesaid coupling-head, a guide connected with the valve, and a key forlocking said guide, for the purpose set forth.

4. In couplings for the air-pipes of railwaycars, a coupling-head havingan opening in its front Wall, and an interior partition provided with anopening, a valve arranged to normally close the opening in thepartition, a tension device for the valve, having a tendency to seatsaid valve, guides for the valve, apiston attached to the valve andextending out through the front opening in the coupling-head, and alocking device for the valve, as set forth.

MILLARI) F. SINCLAIR.

Witnesses:

J. F. WARREN, G. WV. WADE.

